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Abstract:

The Russian State Military Historical Archive contains the “Case of the reconnaissance carried out by the General Staff Captain, Count Kutaisov of the lands of the Dzhigets and part of the lands of the Ubykhs adjacent to the eastern coast of the Black Sea and of the inspection of roads running in this part of the region,” which contains two documents. This is a memo about the societies — Dzhiget and Ubykh, and a description of the roads from Gagra towards Gelendzhik. Kutaisov’s materials do not have an exact date, although it is known that he collected information and wrote it down between 1860 and the beginning of 1864. Kutaisov in his materials gives detailed information about the societies of the studied region, about influential and noble families, indicating their status in society, places of their settlement, indicating the boundaries and indicating the number of households in each of them, about the complex political situation with Russia. The description of the road from Gagra to the former Navaginsky fortification (the mouth of the Sochi River) should be considered from the point of view of strategic importance. In it, Kutaisov notes how one or another settlement can be occupied, which roads are convenient for troops to pass, which roads require development for the passage of military detachments to mountain communities, where danger is expected. This speaks of preparations for active military operations by detachments that were preparing to march from different points towards the mountain communities of Pskhu, Akhchipshu in order to finally bring them into submission, which will happen on May 21, 1864.